The Walking Dead Seaon 4 Finale…No one’s Safe!

Nobody is safe on The Walking Dead, not even lead heroes Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) and Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus). During a Reddit AMA, comic book co-creator and TV show executive producer Robert Kirkman answered fan questions about the hit AMC series and Image Comics book, dropping many hints at what’s to come.

When asked about popularity affecting a character’s survival chances, Kirkman said, “In my opinion, I feel like characters ripen like fruit. So while I wouldn’t say the more popular a character is the more likely they are to die, they do have to reach a certain level of popularity before they’ve ‘earned’ the death. No character is too popular to die. (Suck it, Reedus!)”

Frank Ockenfels 3/AMC

That sound you hear is millions of Daryl Dixon fans screaming in anguish.

And as for Rick Grimes, the show’s lead protagonist, Kirkman was asked if he was a “safe” character. “ABSOLUTELY NOT. Although when I look in Andrew Lincoln’s piercing blue eyes I FEEL safe,” he wrote. Kirkman has previously stated the character will likely not survive the entire comic book series. What about Beth after that abduction? “We will see Beth again… eventually,” he said.

Season four of The Walking Dead has been its biggest season yet and shows no signs of slowing down as it hurdles toward the finale. When asked to describe the season four finale in one word, Kirkman responded “SAVAGE.”

“[P]eople are going to be talking about this one,” he wrote. “The cliffhanger at the end of season 4 will make the wait between seasons 4 and 5 the hardest wait we’ve ever had. ENJOY!”